Step from Hopeless
by pinkpower
Summary: While having a conversation about the color black, Cloud wonders if he is truly in love with Aerith. Clerith! oneshot


**Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me.**

Cloud stared at the young Cetra as she put seeds into the ground. Clad in pink, Cloud couldn't help, but smile. Her beauty and grace was so hard to not be attracted to. Of course, the chocobo-haired mercenary wasn't aware that he was staring at Aerith. He was too busy wondering how he had been so blessed to encounter her. He had caused damage to her church, but she just shrugged it off and they were suddenly friends. Cloud smiled at that. He liked having Aerith in his life.

Sometimes, he wondered, if she knew how much he cared about her. Cloud had never said anything about his growing feelings towards her, so how could she know? The simple answer to that question was that Aerith found away to his heart and she almost always knew what he was feeling. Still, if she had known about his feelings, she was doing a good job of pretending she didn't know anything. Aerith was like that and Cloud was glad. He wanted to wait until the moment was right to tell her. Normally, the ex-SOLDIER wasn't the romantic type, but he thought that Aerith deserved settings that were safe and not dangerous. The moment would have to be perfect for her, and Cloud would gladly wait for the day when it came.

Still, Cloud didn't know if he was in love or not. Usually, when a guy likes, or loves, a girl, they acted like major dweebs. The sent flowers and candy, they stuttered a lot, had really nervous laughs, and were downright too obvious. Cloud always laughed when he saw that happening to an unfortunate fellow that was playing the game of love. _Sucker, _he often thought mockingly. Love had always been a joke to Cloud. Aerith was a different story. He didn't act like an idiot around, or at least, not that he thought. He didn't stutter or stumble like a drunken monkey. Cloud managed to talk to Aerith in an adult manner. He liked talking to her, too. Her beauty was not the only thing that made her extraordinary, but her heart and mind. He felt safe with her and Cloud, more than anything, wanted to do the same for her. Not because he was her bodyguard, but because he merely felt the need. So, was it love that he felt? Even if he was not doing all the normal things a guy would?

As a child, he had a crush on Tifa, his now good friend. He had only talked to her once, and he was happy, but he had soon come to realize that he was not in love with her. Cloud thought he was when he was just a kid, but he had grown up since then. As if good fortune has been on his side, Aerith came into his life, offering him a flower. Her smile had been so innocent and Cloud knew that he was the farthest thing from it. Aerith was a rare creature, indeed, and Cloud wasn't about to let her out of his life.

"You know, Cloud, the color black isn't as evil as everybody might think it is." Aerith said, putting the last seed into the earth.

Snapping out of his daze, Cloud replied, "But black is the ultimate evil. Every time the night falls, there is nothing but a black sky, and I see Sephiroth. He haunts me dream while wearing a black cloak."

Aerith looked away from her planet. She stared at Cloud's mako-blue eyes. A small frown touched her lips, but she gave her friend a look of understanding. "Black is mixed with all the colors. I'm not sure if a lot of people realize that, but I know I do. Black reminds me of you." Cloud had been saddened by this, but Aerith just smiled at him. "It reminds me of you, because I believe you are a person with dark 

regrets and regrets to come, but I bet you've done some great things in your time as well, though you may not realize it yourself. Cloud, you've had so many disappointments in your life, but look at you now, those things have made you stronger." Aerith looked down and started fiddle with her long, braided, chocolate locks. "I know you're more of a hero than I'll ever be. You're my hero, Cloud."

Cloud tilted her chin up with the index finger on his right hand. He looked deeply into her emerald eyes. Aerith was the only person that was willing to see him for who he really was and not the person Cloud had pretended to be for so long. Aerith knew that he had a shady past, but still didn't care. She gave him a chance to forget the boy he had been and be the man that he wanted to be so much. Only Aerith had the power to make him feel truly safe. With other people, things had been more complicated.

On the other hand, her smiles were so pure, but at times, Cloud could see that she had been so sad. He admired the way she didn't linger on her sorrow. Still, he wished that Aerith would come to him freely. Instead, he would notice her small tears, and try to comfort her in the best way he could. Cloud wasn't an expert on doing so, but the shine in Aerith's green eyes returned, and that's when he knew that everything would be all right. That shine always gave him on step out of hopeless.

"You're a soul mixed with many different colors." Aerith said, blushing by the way Cloud had been looking at her. "Black…"

Cloud grinned. Aerith was quite the optimist. She even made black seem like an endearing color that people shouldn't fear. "Aerith, I just want you to know that you're me hero...um…heroine."

Aerith giggled, embracing him. Cloud felt the warmth the hug generated into his heart, and prayed the Yuffie wouldn't come waling by. A moment like this with Aerith had always been so precious and rare. It meant the world to Cloud to hold the flower girl in his arms. And he knew that he loved her.


End file.
